Do vampires and detectives mix?
by Skysha-Tranqui
Summary: [ON HIATUS]Vampire target 004 has been saved by an outcast, and now three nearly ordinary detectives are involved. How long can the pretense of human-ness last, and who will the detectives pin the murder on?
1. Attempted attack

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: Not quite sure yet…

Plot: Hopefully will arrive soon - should turn out as one of those Detective type ones - they are REALLY good. J Just saying…

****

Chapter One

Harsh panting filled the alley, as a dark shadow paused to catch its breath. Aquamarine eyes flashed as the figure dared to look around the corner of the brick wall he was currently hiding behind.

A frown flickered over those features visible, when he saw his pursuer was no-where in sight.

Shaking it off as a case of good luck, the figure straightened from the wall, breathing easier now, and stepped away from the wall.

Moonlight glinted on golden locks, and the figure showed itself to be a young man, about twenty odd, with a slim build. Despite being quite short, and defenceless-looking, a determined glint hid behind his large eyes.

Beginning to feel uneasy again, he turned and began to continue down the alleyway, a prickling in his head telling him now would be a good time to run. Or it would have been if he hadn't run smack into someone before he'd completely turned around. 

Stumbling slightly, he looked up into eyes the colour of liquid amber, but with none of its warmth.

Gasping with surprise, the male stumbled backwards, his mind trying to catch up with the fact that his pursuer had managed to slip around him and surprise him from behind.

"Relax little one," The man said, leaning forwards slightly as an ominous smile played around his lips, no answering amusement present in his gaze. "I'm not going to hurt you…"

"…I'm going to make everything much, much better."

Gulping the minute blonde raised his fists, determination shining despite the obviousness of his imminent defeat.

When his attacker to be simply continued to stare at him, he let his anger wash through him, channelling it into his fists. Moving with a speed unexpected from such a small male, he swung his fist at the weird man's face, connecting with a solid thump.

To the recipient they obviously didn't expect the blow to knock them back several feet, flinging them into the opposite wall.

Just as the blonde was regaining a little bit of his confidence, the amber-eyed weirdo stood from his crumpled position on the floor, and straightened his clothing.

Next thing younger knew, he was being sent flying against a wall himself. And he hadn't even seen the other man move. Uh oh.

He lay at the bottom of the wall, gingerly trying to ascertain if anything was broken without moving. He'd just about shaken the stars from his eyes, when a rough hand grabbed him around the neck and lifted him.

As he stared at the person in front of him, trying desperately to draw air in despite the strangle hold the man had on him, he watched in horror as the man's eyes began to change.

Liquid silver slowly leaked into the man's eyes, running around the iris before engulfing it completely, leaving only the pupil the same. Silver glinting in the moonlight, the man bent his head nearer the slight person in his grasp. Eyes fluttering from lack of oxygen, the male managed to notice something else glinting as well. Suddenly, the man was ripped from his body, and he collapsed on the ground, choking as he drew in breath after breath.

Looking up a moment later, he watched with bleary eyes as a pair of figures tussled on the ground a few feet away from him. The next minute one of the figures broke free of the other, and took off running. One minute there, the next gone from plain sight.

The edgy feeling that had been present from before the attack faded, and the young man let out a sigh of relief, knowing he was safe again.

"Are you okay? You look kind of pale, he didn't do anything to you did he?" The worried voice broke into his thoughts, and he looked up in surprise.

A pair of dark eyes gazed at him from across the alleyway.

Despite feeling shaken still the man knew this person didn't mean him any harm, and he could practically feel the concern radiating from him, highlighting the fact that he wasn't making any move to come nearer him.

He wondered at that for a moment, then shook it off as he realised the other was still waiting for an answer from him. 

"No, I'm fine, just a bit shaken."

The other one looked relieved, although it was hard to tell from this distance. "Oh good, I'm glad I didn't come too late."

"What? You knew he was going to attack me?" Suddenly nervous, he leapt to his feet, wavering for a second as the world tilted. Then it was back to normal, and he realised the other had risen to his feet as well.

"No, I'm just glad I was in the neighbourhood. I don't want to think what would have happened if no one came by. Are you sure you are okay, he was throttling you pretty hard?" 

He wasn't standing as deep in the shadows now, and his heart-shaped face was wearing a worried expression that looked out of place with his beautiful features.

At his question the blonde's eyes relaxed, and he idly rubbed at the marks around his neck as he assured the stranger that he was fine.

"Well…since I am here I might as well escort you to the police station, don't want anything else to happen to you. We could go to the hospital first, but if you can wait the police should probably be notified."

"Police. I'd rather get that out of the way, and they'll probably get someone to check me over anyway. You probably need to be looked over as well, you two were fighting pretty hard. Are you okay?"

Looking slightly startled at the change in conversation, he looked the slight boy over, raising his eyebrow before grinning at him merrily. 

"Nah, I'm fine. Didn't get here in time to do anything too serious."

Wondering at the ambiguity of that comment, the blonde was about to question him on it, but his new acquaintance redirected his attention, and next thing he knew they were standing outside a police station, having walked and chatted about absolutely nothing of any importance on the way.

Once he'd filled out the forms necessary to file a complaint, the young man was told to go and wait on a couch and that someone would be with him in a minute. Swallowing a sigh, he turned to the silent man behind him, about to ask him if he wanted to go grab a coffee or something, only to swallow the words as well when he saw nobody there.

Spinning in a quick circle, the blonde could spot his saviour no-where. 

Figuring his generosity only lasted up to handing his 'charge' over to someone more capable of handling it, the young man shrugged and ignored the pang of hurt he felt. He hadn't even got his saviour's name. 

****

I'm on a roll with these new fic ideas, but I don't know how long it will last, or how long they will turn out to be, so enjoy it while it lasts - I am! J 

I love doing these unusual fics, where you never really know what is going on until the very end, and it all gets explained. I also LOVE dropping ambiguous hints along the way, which probably annoys you readers no end! Hehehe…

Anyway - normal thing; R&R please, and I will try to update, or at least continue it.

See ya again soon, oh, and thank you to everybody who writes - I know I don't say anything anymore, but it took me ages to type up responses to everyone, so I only do those I need to now. ;)


	2. Just who is the victim?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: Not quite sure yet…

Plot: Hopefully will arrive soon - should turn out as one of those Detective type ones - they are REALLY good. J Just saying…

****

Chapter Two

"So, you never got a clear look at your attacker, _or_ the person who stepped in to help you?" Heaving a sigh of irritation, Detective Chang leaned back in his seat.

"Mr Carthaven, I don't suppose you can give me _something_ to work on here?…A reason you were attacked maybe? Umm, something they said, unusual mannerisms, perhaps they moved funny, _anything_…"

Thinking back, Quatre's eyes darkened in colour as he struggled to remember anything that might help the Detective. 

* _Liquid silver slowly leaked into the man's eyes, running around the iris before engulfing it completely, leaving only the pupil the same._ * 

"His eyes!" The Detective jumped a little at the sudden outburst, making his coffee spill onto his hand. Yelping at the hot liquid, Chang gestured for Quatre to continue, even as he hunted around for a napkin to mop up with.

"He had odd coloured eyes, amber. And, I could have sworn they turned silver at one point…but even if they didn't, amber is still a rare eye colour, isn't it?"

Making a wry face, Chang scribbled the detail down in his notepad, so he'd have a resource to consult, other than the tape recorder sat on the corner of the interviewing table.

"Amber is a rare eye colour, unless of course he was wearing contacts, in which case it's not all that rare. Then there's the fact that we can't go round checking everyone's eyes in an attempt to find your attacker…I know you've been through a lot this evening, and I really don't mean to make this harder for you. Still, it would help if we had more to go on."

Gentling his tone, the Detective looked across at Quatre, who could feel that he was genuinely trying to help.

"Listen, I'll put out what you've given me; his height and eye colour, and maybe we'll pick him up in one of our regular patrols. Until then, anything you can add would be appreciated, and you'd do well to be extra cautious." 

"I think that's enough for tonight. I'll get someone to take you to the hospital and escort you home, okay?"

Nodding reluctantly, Quatre handed his safekeeping over to the police for the rest of the night, relying on them to tell him where to go and what to do.

The hospital trip passed in a blur of questions, pokings and proddings. The attacker hadn't caused too much damage, and Quatre was allowed to leave, with only a minor concussion from hitting the wall, and instructions to wake up every hour throughout the remainder of the night - just as a precaution.

"Thanks for giving me a lift, you guys want to come in for a coffee or something before you go back to the station?"

The two uniforms exchanged glances, their longing easy to read from their auras. Eventually one of them shook their head reluctantly, and they declined the invitation with tangible regret. 

Turning from the retreating car, Quatre turned his blue-green eyes to the block of apartments the officers had dropped him off at. Seven floors high, with three apartments on each level, the apartments were some of the more expensive available.

Staring up at the building pensively for a moment, he allowed himself the luxury of admiring the place he used to live.

Turning his back on the comfortable lodgings, he straightened his hunched in posture, and, sticking his hands in his black trouser pockets, casually set off down the road.

Back at the centre of town, Quatre expanded his empathic sense, searching for danger as he moved past the night clubs and restaurants, weaving in and out amongst the people who were out for a good time.

Coming to the end of the night-life area, he scanned his surroundings for danger, before crossing over the street, heading for the large iron gates situated there.

A large driveway hid behind the gates, leading to a mansion, set so far back from the road that people often mistook the large driveway as another road. Trees and bushes surrounded the mansion, and sheltered it from sight. The drive opened up into a wide space before the front door, with enough room to hold up to six cars comfortably. A large fountain, filled with fish, took up the middle, creating an island for the cars to drive around.

Built like some kind of temple, the mansion had typical, old fashioned, brickwork, with vines of ivy and roses creeping across the front. It also had columns, built from marble and designed to look like the ancient Greek's, positioned to hold up the large overhang at the front, en lieu of a porch. 

Another building stood to the right of the house, the garage. A gate separated the garage from the mansion, and allowed access to the back of the house. At the back was a large area of lawn, several series' of designed flower gardens, and a large, covered swimming pool, all separated from each other by large hedges. Further back from all that were the woods, and the remainder of the land. 

And all was owned by one, Quatre Raberba Winner. Bequeathed to him by his late father, dead now for over a month.

Having bypassed the code-only gate, Quatre jogged along the driveway, mindful of his pounding head. After all the trouble he'd gone to, he'd be damned if failed when he was _this_ close to success.

Sunken lights illuminated the drive, as it curved behind a cluster of trees, which would plunge it into darkness otherwise. Knowing the setup like the back of his hand, Quatre easily avoided the lights, and the security cameras hidden in the branches of the trees, designed to show all of the drive. 

Coming up to the mansion, Quatre noted the garage was in use, as well as the driveway itself, filled to overflowing with the cars of guests and employees.

Cursing fluently, he ducked behind a convenient conifer, as an elderly drunken couple giggled their way past. When the coast was once again clear, the young man sprinted to the mansion and jumped as high as he could. 

Fingers grasped at wooden lattice-work, and snagged a hold. Grunting under his breath, Quatre pulled himself up using his arms, and began to climb to the open window on the seventh floor.

After an age, he managed to reach his destination, and, fingers trembling with fatigue, he hauled his tired body up and over the window ledge. Barely glancing at the opulent room he was in, he quickly tugged his dirt-stained shirt over his head, kicking it under the bed as he moved towards the wardrobe near the door.

Changing into a black-tie suit, Quatre hesitated for a moment, then shrugged, forgoing a tie. Afterall, the casual look was in this year. Slipping into the bathroom attached to his bedroom, Quatre rinsed the dirt from his face, sprayed some deodorant on quickly, and ran a brush through the golden strands of hair. Deciding he looked passable enough, he took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh, then moved to the door leading to the main house.

The seventh floor was empty, with no sign on the red carpets lining the corridors, to indicate someone had come to fetch him…yet. 

The first three floors of the mansion were purely decorational, used for; entertaining guests, hosting parties, holding meetings and storing things that had nowhere else to go.

For this reason, they were easily accessible to visitors. Just inside the front door, was a large, old fashioned entrance hall. Directly opposite the front door was a large, elegant staircase, which curved around the higher up it went. The first floor was accessible, due to the landing, which protruded from the floor and joined the stairs. At this juncture the stairs flattened out, creating the landing, which also served as a balcony, looking down at the entry hall below.

The stairs then continued up, leading on from the opposite side they had previously risen to. Another landing, like the one for the first floor, allowed entry to the second floor. This continued on to the third floor, where it reached a rather unusual balcony. Protected by sturdy banisters, people could look down and see the stairs and the platforms leading to the first and second floors, or they could look up and see an elaborate mural of a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

The mural was a depiction of a massive forest, a cluster of wolves drinking from a lake provided the focus of the picture, with other animals hiding amongst the trees awaiting their turn. A shy unicorn was resting in the shade, squirrels playing a game around its resting body. Fairies danced across the still water, one even playfully flicking droplets at the wolves' face.

The main part of the picture was based on the ceiling, but it spilled down the walls as well, getting smaller and more intricately detailed the further down it came, until all that was left, were a few curling tendrils of vines - reminiscent of those gracing the front of the house.

The only way to reach the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh floors though, was through a secret passage. Each floor held one. On the bottom floor there was one in the kitchen. The first floor in the lounge. Second floor the ballroom. The third floor, the library.

Each of the secret passage ways rose passed the first three floors, rising like a spiralling staircase, used in a tower. Each of the secret passage ways had four exit points, one leading to each of the 'hidden' floors. This meant there were three different ways to get back down from each floor, resulting in three different places of exit, one on each of the floors.

Only people who were known to be loyal to the Winner family were employed, and only they knew of the ways to the other floors. Everybody else was led to assume the mansion only had the first three floors, and that the remainder of the house was used for storage, or else purely aesthetic.

Quatre had just covered up the passage leading to the seventh floor, when a giggling girl latched onto his sleeve, raining kisses along his neck and shoulder.

" Hello again, Miriam, wasn't it?" Laughing politely, Quatre tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but the brunette merely tightened her hold.

Ignoring his lack of participation, the intoxicated girl ran her hand down Quatre's backside, "Hey, pretty-boy. I've been looking for you aaalllll night! I was sooo nervous about talki…*hic*…talking to you, you wouldn't believe…But!…It's quite easy, isn't it?"

Giggling, the girl attempted to kiss him again. Desperately trying to ignore the groping he was being subjected to, Quatre couldn't help squeaking when he felt a surprisingly strong hand squeeze his butt. 

Using all of his persuasive charm, Quatre talked her into letting go of his butt-cheek, and following him over to the leather couch leaning against the wall of the study. Gently easing her down on the soft chair, he raised her face to his gaze, holding her fuzzy eyes with his, as he clouded her mind even further.

The girl's eyes fluttered shut and she fell limp within his grasp. Pulling her legs up beside her, Quatre ensured she was as comfortable as possible, although there was nothing he could do about the killer hangover she would have in the morning due to imbibing too much when trying to steady her nerves. Evidently, her nerves had been plenty steadied, but she would be paying the price tomorrow.

Quatre was just turning to walk out the door, when it swung open. Framed in the doorway, a large man stood, with his arms crossed over his chest. Muscles bulged, even through the concealing clothe of his formal tux, and his expression was fixed in an expression of stern disapproval. Seeing Quatre he bowed slightly, almost unnoticeably, then turned a knowing eye on the brunette lying unconscious on the couch.

"Another one? That makes three in one week, a record even for you."

Coming into the room, Quatre's head of security firmly shut the door behind him before letting the stern expression drop into something more approachable. Tension around the eyes lessened, making wrinkles less obvious, and his mouth relaxed, one corner turning up into the hint of a grin.

"I know, I know. It's not my fault though, if they'd just stop accosting me, then I'd be able to stop 'letting them down' gently." Letting out a rough laugh, Rashid reached out casually and ruffled Quatre's hair lightly.

"Nothing would stop them from 'accosting' you, as you put it, apart from changing the way you look. Until you marry or grow old enough to put them off, I can see why you prefer hiding away at these types of functions."

"Unfortunately, since your father died, you are now in charge of the Winner fortune and all its businesses. It was all very well hiding in your room when you were a young boy, but you are now the host of these parties. Unwillingly, I grant you, but you are required to mingle with your guests, and curry favour at the same time."

Regarding his faithful servant, and father-figure, Quatre studied the face before him, noting it had lost all mirth and was once again leaning towards sternness. Sighing slightly, Quatre pushed aside the fear he'd experienced earlier, and firmly ignored the throbbing from his bruise.

"Okay, let's get this over with. Who do I need to talk to tonight? And who do I need to keep an eye out for, allies, rivals etc.? Also, see if you can get a list of those who have drunk the most, and what they drank. It might pay to know who is most susceptible to coercion tonight, and what certain people have a weakness for - drinkswise, of course, blackmail is so redundant, and often backfires…"

Quatre continued listing his requirements for the remainder of the evening, heading out the door as he did, smoothing out his rumpled suit and half-aware of Rashid relaying orders over his hidden comm to the rest of the staff. Time to plunge headfirst into the world of intrigue, dishonesty and etiquette that had ruled his father's life, up 'til he was murdered.

****

Taken me _ages_ to update I'm afraid, although not as long as for some of my other pieces (namely, my Gundam Wing fics!). Anyway, I hope you like this - can't actually remember if I got any reviews for this or not…hmm, must have been a very long time since I updated then! J 

R&R, please? I know this chapter was long, but boring, but I wanted to get something solid out, and it was all just Quatre's background - no action. Oh, well…


	3. What say we pull off the gloves?

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: Not quite sure yet…

Plot: Hopefully will arrive soon - should turn out as one of those Detective type ones - they are REALLY good. J Just saying…

****

Chapter Three

A stray breeze ruffled the ivy, tracing a shiver down the nearly-naked back of a departing party guest. Pausing to shiver, the dark haired girl darted a quick look at her surroundings, white silver and a scattering of diamonds glittering around her throat. The picture of elegance, in her midnight blue dress and heels, and obviously stinking rich to boot.

Shivering once more, the woman, little more than a girl really, sent a thankful glance towards her male companion, as he placed his jacket around her slender form. Thinking no more of the eerie sensation she'd had that someone was watching her, the girl took her companion's arm, and went on her way. Stepping daintily across the gravel-strewn drive, she sank gratefully into the leather-smelling interior of her shiny limousine.

The car engine started with a gentle rumble, and the car circled the fountain once before heading down the long driveway, back to the main road. Amber eyes glinted in the light cast from the sunken lights dotted around the driveway, briefly flashing silver as they watched the tempting meal drive away to safety.

The woman was forgotten in the next instant, as the figure perched on the roof of the garage looked towards the mansion. A more important mission than getting dinner in mind. 

A rush of movement, and the dark figure had leapt onto the side of the mansion. Dark clothes moving silently with his body's motions, the shadowed interloper crawled up the side of the building effortlessly, steadily making his way towards the roof. Once there, he assumed a secure position, then reached out with his mind. Instantly, the figure was able to make out the heartbeats of the individuals inside the building, one individual in particular.

Across the city, in an abandoned building, a figure jolted upright, a startled, "Shit!" sounding from his lips. Examining more thoroughly the power that had washed over him, the man with shadowed eyes cursed yet again, before leaping into action.

As the stranger frantically tore out of the abandoned building and headed for the mansion on the other side of the city, and the shadowed figure on the roof listened to the heartbeats of those beneath him, the blond boy hosting his high society party remained unaware of the chaos about to ensue.

Eventually the last drink had been drunk, the last information had been wormed out of guests, the last deal had been forged, and the night was drawing to an end. Exhausted, Quatre wearily sank into the nearest available seat, thankful that that was the last guest he had to see off, and vaguely awed by the trials his father had so successfully manoeuvred through. Waving off Rashid's offer of a stiff drink, Quatre gingerly lifted himself back onto his feet, sure he would feel the effects of the night more fully in the morning.

Ignoring the faint pounding in his head, caused both by the incident earlier, and the over-exertion of his gift the remainder of the night, the blond figure managed to stagger up to his room on the seventh floor. Not having the strength to pull his clothes off, let alone have a full wash, Quatre flopped down onto his bed, eyes already shutting drowsily.

A rough hand grabbed the prone boy by the shoulder, then heaved. 

Suddenly finding himself sailing through the air, whereas an instant before he had been on the brink of sleep, was definitely a shocking experience. Not nearly as shocking as crashing into a sturdy wooden wardrobe though. Finding himself on the ground for the second time that night, Quatre wasn't surprised in the least when the same hand as before pulled him upright again, or maybe it was the shock of impact that lessened his reaction? Either way, being held up by a hand at his throat, and finding himself looking into familiar amber eyes gave Quatre a strong sense of déjà vu.

Ooh, and look, the pretty eyes are changing colour again! Quatre sharply shook his head, as much as he was able anyway, in an attempt to throw off the haze clouding his thoughts. If he remembered the events as accurately as he thought he did, or at least more than he had told the police, then he was pretty sure about what was going to happen next. Not something he wanted to happen, particularly when no helpful strangers were likely to wander by any moment in his bedroom. 

Remembering the panic button Rashid had installed when Quatre's father had been murdered, the boy's eyes lit up with hope he tried to dim. Luckily, Quatre's assailant seemed to find the emotion practically vibrating from the empath amusing, if the way he grinned to flash his teeth was any indication.

Catching sight of the sharp incisors, Quatre's eyes widened with fright, turquoise eclipsing blue, as the boy unwittingly broadcasted his fear for all to feel. 

Growling as he felt the power emanating from his victim, the shadowed man slammed Quatre against the wardrobe again, then bent to complete his mission whilst the boy was subdued. Or at least, attempted to. One second bending over Quatre, the next on the floor, he looked up to see somebody standing in front of the boy protectively.

"Hi again! You should know, it's bad form to attack the same person twice in one night, makes you seem desperate or something…" A maniacal grin flashed white teeth, as the shadowed man regained his feet, his bemusement by the turn of events evident on his face.

Dusting himself off casually, he looked his opponent over, noting the slim build, and average height. "And you should know it's bad form to interrupt somebody else's business, but I don't see you apologising."

"I don't exactly play by the rules. I make my own up."

Rushing forward, the shadowed man tried to take this upstart youth off guard. Ready for the move, the newcomer met him, strength for strength, and the shadowed figure was surprised to find he fell short, ending up on the floor once more.

Glad to be left alone for the time being, Quatre leaned against the wardrobe and slid down to the floor, legs weakened as a trickle of blood ran down the back of his neck. In front of him, the two strangers engaged in battle. Moves were instigated by his attacker, but calmly met and matched by his saviour. A gleam of light filtered in through the open window, and highlighted the faces of the two males. Quatre couldn't help but gasp. He'd known his attacker was the same person, but his rescuer was also the same one as before, and there was no way he could have just 'happened by' this time, since they weren't exactly in a hugely populated area.

The last thing Quatre saw before he blacked out, was his attacker finally landing a solid blow on his defender. Flying backwards from the force of the punch, the man nevertheless managed to twist in mid-air, and hit the wall with his entire body, as opposed to his head.

As the prone figure of Quatre Winner slumped over, unconscious, his twice-in-one-night rescuer looked him over from his position against the wall. Keen eyes noted the trickle of blood, and the lump blossoming on the back of the boy's head. Hearing the sound of feet thumping up the hidden stairs, he turned back to his opponent, inclining his head, in supposed respect that the other had managed to hurt him.

"What do you say we stop pulling the punches, eh? Make it more…challenging?"

Focusing too strongly on the fight and the feel of blood pumping through his veins, the assailant was unable to hear the guards rushing to help. Seeing the only human witness unconscious on the floor, and easy bounty, he turned to the other with a grin. "Sure, it's about time someone taught you a lesson."

****

Seemed as good a time as any to stop - I love cliffhangers, don't you? lol

I'll update again as soon as possible, but I might update my other fics first *shrug*

R&R, please? I love hearing all those nice things people say! 


	4. This isn't bloody! You should see the ot...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, or any of its characters, so don't sue me!

Pairings: Not quite sure yet…

Plot: Hopefully will arrive soon - should turn out as one of those Detective type ones - they are REALLY good. J Just saying…

****

Chapter Four

Indigo eyes narrowed in anticipation, and Quatre's defender readied himself to be thoroughly thrashed. The part of him focusing on outside events picked up the thread of conversation from the floor below.

"…the police said to contain the attacker, and they'd take it from there. But personally, if master Quatre is injured…you know who comes first…"

Good, the police were on the way - more _human_ witnesses, which meant this bastard would be in even more shit. Oomph!

The force of the hand picking him up drove out what little breath his lungs contained, and then Duo found himself sailing through the air yet again. True to form the vampire's head was clouded by his bloodlust, and he'd thrown Duo using his full strength. Meaning, the wall Duo hit, cracked with the force of the blow.

Rising to his feet, Duo allowed his legs to tremble slightly, but couldn't resist examining the tracery of cracks and coming up with a suitably sarcastic line.

"So…work out much?"

A flicker of disbelief followed by contempt made their way across the other figure's face, before he shook himself and concentrated on the task at hand.

"Maybe you should work out some more, pretty boy."

Okay, now that was just rude. He was definitely no 'boy'! 'Pretty' he could understand, but 'boy'…? No, uh uh, now the guy had to pay.

Letting out a feral snarl, Duo launched himself at the other vampire, who casually raised his left arm to block Duo's attack…only to find Duo had already moved into a different one.

Gripping the outstretched arm with his right hand, Duo ducked in close, and tore open the figure's left side with his other hand. Ignoring the blood spurting worryingly close to his clothes, Duo grabbed the guy's other arm before it could hit him, then flung the figure over his head.

That the man hit the wall in exactly the same place Duo had, was only right, but now Duo had to let the figure rough him up, and that wasn't something he was very good at doing. Afterall, everything in him told him to attack, not sit back and just take it. The distant sound of sirens reinforced Duo's purpose though, well, that and the sound of Quatre's guards thundering up the flights of stairs.

Luckily, Mister Tall Dark and Scary was standing up of his own will again, and the impact of the wall had been enough to distract him from sound of the coming humans.

Muttering something under his breath about 'cocky upstarts', the man headed towards Duo with determination in his stride, and death in his thoughts.

The first punch barely tickled Duo, but the next one almost knocked his head off. A reminder of why he hated holding back in fights. Keeping up a reasonable defense on his own side, he couldn't resist getting in a few good shots, although he made sure the other figure did a lot more damage to him.

Landing on the broken remains of the bed with a heavy thud, wounded, and bleeding from various wounds, Duo eyed a particularly sharp piece of kindling, itching to put the bastard out of his misery. Unfortunately, his orders had been clear: protect the little guy, find out where the other man's orders were coming from, and put a stop to the whole situation. And, in order to accomplish all that, he needed the other person to survive. For now.

Repressing his healing powers, the surge of blood which had before been slower than a human's, began to speed up to a regular flow. Dizziness instantly hit Duo, but his self-control allowed him to maintain consciousness a while longer.

Pulling himself up from his brief rest against the wall, the other man attempted to stalk over to the broken form of Duo, but found he was tired enough that he could only manage a regular walk. Casting one last sneering glance over Duo, he turned to go and collect his target, the still-unconscious Quatre, and Duo held his breath.

'Come on, come on, I timed it just right…so where the hell is the cavalry?'

Just as Duo was about to give up all hope on humanity, and shake off his wounds for another round with the bad guy, the door to Quatre's room was smashed open, and Quatre's personal guards, led by Rashid, poured in.

Taking in the situation with a glance, as all guards are wont to do, Rashid immediately zeroed in on the threat that needed neutralising, ordering his men to fire on the figure leaning over the still form of their master.

Bullets flying, knives being flung - the bad guy had no choice but to abandon his target for now, and he quickly flung himself out the window, cursing as, in his tired state, he managed to acquire several bullets despite his speed.

Smirking at the curse that only he could pick up, Duo ignored the curious mutterings of the guards, and let his head drop back limply, unconsciousness taking him, just as Rashid came over to see who he was.

Taking in the fact that the room looked like a war zone, and that there was blood everywhere, yet master Quatre's only wound appeared to be a badly knocked head, Rashid came to the conclusion that the guy on the bed was half of the cause for the destruction, and the guy who just went out the window was the other half. Lifting a limp hand, Rashid checked for a pulse, then rapidly looked the guy over once he'd found one, taking quick stock of his injuries.

Finding them plentiful, and rather diverse, Rashid turned to those of his men who were not hunting the other man and securing the property.

"Ring for an ambulance, tell them the patient is in bad condition, and he'll need an immediate blood transfusion. The rest of his problems are too numerous to list over the phone, but tell them to treat it like the results of a knife fight. Lots of slashes, and nice big holes in the body."

"Post guards at the gate to verify their identity, and let me know when the police get here."

Nodding to show they understood what was being asked of them, several of the remaining men immediately peeled off, and headed back downstairs. Using the front door, instead of the favoured window.

The remaining guards gathered around Quatre, and eased the prone young man into a more natural position, gently wiping the bump on his head clear of blood.

Seeing his master was being taken proper care of, Rashid turned his attention back to the stranger, and the worst of his wounds. The biggest gash was on the boy's front, stretching across his torso as though he'd been slashed by a knife, but the wound leaking the most blood had to be the one further down, where he appeared to have had a chunk ripped out of his side. The nearest Rashid could come to describe it was to say it looked as though an animal had torn a hunk of meat out of him. The edges of the wound were jagged, and blood continued to pour out of it.

Ripping up some of the ruined bedsheets scattered around them, Rashid shoved a ball of fabric into the wound itself, then roughly wrapped more sheets around the boy's waist. When he was satisfied with that wound, Rashid moved onto the others he could find, binding wounds until the boy resembled a mummy. Even after that blood continued to seep out, and by the time he was finished, the material at the bloodiest wound was scarlet with the precious liquid, but Rashid didn't dare let more out in an attempt to change the bandages. The only way to stop the bleeding in his mind, appeared to be get it sewn up - something which he couldn't do here.

Sirens pulling into the drive announced the arrival of the police, and closely behind them came the ambulances - since the hospital was nearer the mansion than the police station was. Leaving it to his men to greet the authorities, Rashid stayed upstairs to keep an eye on the two unconscious men.

****

A bit short maybe. I hope the fight scene was okay as well - I tend to get a bit too clinical, so I tried to cut it down and make it seem more like it was from Duo's vantage point.

In case the switch in my descriptions confused anybody, Duo is the person who saved Quatre at the very beginning, and he's also the one who showed up in Quatre's bedroom last chapter - so no, you haven't jumped a chunk of the story (I love that word…'chunk'…got a nice ring to it…)

R&R please, and tell me what you think! blueberry muffins for all (too much chocolate is bad for you y'know)


End file.
